Improvement in apparatus for the manufacture of charcoal



Lgs; GOODRICH.

Improvement `in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Charcoa| `No".` 129,814. "Pafentdlulyazs, 1872.

' fm/M i LEVEN s. GooDnroH,l -orl wAvnnLv, TENNEssEE.

l Speciijcation forming part of Letters Patent N0. 129,814, dated July 23, 1872.

Srncrrrcarron. To all whom it may concern:

. Beit kncwnthat I, LEVEN S. Goonrncn, of Waverly, in the county of Humphreys and State of Tennessee, haveinvented a newand useful Apparatus for the Manufacture of Charcoal, of which the following is a specification:

" Naturedndobject. The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus for thelmanufacture of charcoal which will save all' the useful products arising from the distillation of the wood, Vand at the same time increasethequantity and improve the `quality of charcoal produced from any `given amount of wood. The nature of my invention consists 1n constructing a stationary kiln or furnace of any suitable size to contain -about one-half `the wood to make a desired charge, covering `the said kiln vwith a telescopic bottomless holder, which reciprocates vertically in an annular chamber surrounding said kiln, providedwith a suitable liquid for sealing the same,` like that of an ordinary gasholder. Said holder rises high enough to form a` chamberbetween its top and the bottom of the kiln of sufficient dimensions to receive an amount of wood to make the desired charge, thus making up for Vthedelicient capacity of the kilnitself, which is only designed to hold about half of said charge. At or near the top of said holder is situated a suitable number of doors, through :which the kiln may be charged to` avoid the necessity of removing l the said holder for that purpose.` "Near these doors is situated a pipe or pipesl for carrying off the productsof distillation. 1 The bottom of the kiln is providedwith an arch, to which access may be had for regulating the air-supply, which enters the `kiln through orifices in said arch, vashereafter` described. i

i General Description."

With reference to theaccompanying drawing, which represents a vertical section of the entire apparatus, A is a conical chamber, com- Y tallic drum or casing lined with E, a nonconf ductor of heat, provided also at the top with a chamber or reservoir, R, for containing wa` ter, for two purposes-viz., first, to add sufficient weight to overcome the counter-balance F, which connects therewith by segment Gr and chain or rope I, (the said segment oscllates on fulcrum H5) second, to preserve the top of said D from the action of the heat. The support of fulcrum H is so arranged as to revolve, being provided with a pin extending from the upper portion O down into P, which supports the said O, as shown. By this means the holderD, after being raised from the chamber (l, may be swung around out of the way to give free access to the kiln A. K is a passageway leading tothe center of arch B,through which the operator cany gain access for adjusting the dampers in orices L, which regulate the flow of air to the kiln. M is a door situated in D, as shown, which may be opened or closed at pleasure. Nis a pipe through which the gaseousand aqueous matter passes off, the same being located at or near the top of said D.

Operation.

closed, a nre is kindled at or near the center of A through the orifices L. The products of this combustion rise through the wood and i pass off through the pipe N, through which l.

also, the products of distillation of the woe caused by said combustion pass off to a con denser or other apparatus for collecting thl same. As the process goes on the wood shrinks by the loss of its volatile properties and of course sinks in the direction of the bottom of A. Now, it may here be seen that if the entire apparatus were stationary a space would be left at the top of the wood for the collection of a portion of the above-said volatile products, whereas in my apparatus this space is avoided by the top of D, which rests upon and follows the same until it occupies its least posy y NI'IVED STATE-.S PAT-.ENT 1 GFFIGE:

sealing the same allof the volatile productsl of the distillation are compelled to pass od through pipe or pipes N.

Having thus described the process of making the coal, the neXt important object is to discharge the kiln in order to aid the difliculty of exposing the coal to the weath er while performing the operation. This, however, is dependent to some extent upon the precise construction of the apparatus. To accomplish this isn the one already described the water is removed from reservoir R, when the counter-balance' F overcomes the weight of D, which is then easily raised and swung around out of the way, giving free access to the kiln, or replaced in case of rainy or other bad weather which would be likely to injure the same, or it may be -raised high enough to give access without swinging the same out of position. This is independent of the door M, which need not be brought into use. v

It may be here stated that the kiln may be charged and discharged in various waysV from that above mentioned, as, for instance, the bottom may be provided with a trapdoor, through which the same may be accomplished, or a passage may be formed leading through the annular chamber C and kiln. It may also be stated that the airsupply may be arranged differently. The orices L maybe providedwith pipes leading to the surface of the ground outside of the apparatus. In this way the arch B may be dispensed with, though the same is valuable, enablin g the operator to observe more readily the operation at that point. Therefore,

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. The combination of the holder D and the annular chamber G with the stationary kiln A,- ubstantially as and for the purpose above set orth.

2. The orifices L, in combination with arch Witnesses:

J. G. WINN, C. E. HILLMAN. 

